Study: CT scans can reduce lung cancer deaths by 20%

November 05, 2010|THOMAS H. MAUGH II Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES -- Advanced CT imaging can reduce deaths from lung cancer by 20 percent among heavy smokers, according to long-awaited results from the first comparison of CT scanning and regular chest X-rays, researchers said Thursday. The results of the study among more than 53,000 former and current heavy smokers were so conclusive that the study was terminated prematurely last week and letters were sent to all the participants advising them of the results. The findings are considered to be a major step forward in fighting lung cancer, which is expected to kill an estimated 157,000 Americans this year, because chest X-rays have never been shown to be an effective tool for identifying tumors. "This is the first clear demonstration that a screening procedure can be effective in reducing deaths from lung cancer," Dr. Douglas Lowy of the National Cancer Institute, which sponsored the $250 million study, said at a news conference. The study "has important implications for public health," added Dr. Harold Varmus, the director of the National Cancer Institute, "but no one should believe that it is safe to continue to smoke or to start smoking. We can reduce deaths by 20 percent, but screening does not prevent lung cancer or prevent the large majority of deaths from lung cancer." Varmus said the scientists are still analyzing all the data and hope to prepare a scientific paper for publication within the next few months. He also noted that the researchers are not making any recommendations about whether routine screening should be conducted in any group. Such recommendations should await completion of the analysis of the data, he said. The technology involved in the screening is called low-dose spiral CT imaging, in which a complete three-dimensional image of the chest cavity can be produced during the duration of one held breath. The technology is much more sensitive than a conventional chest X-ray, but also uses much more radiation -- about the same amount associated with a conventional mammogram, according to Dr. Denise R. Aberle of the University of California, Los Angeles' Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, who participated in the study.